God in Christianity

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Contents 1 The term "Godhead" 2 Trinity 2.1 Ambivalence to Trinitarian doctrine 2.2 God the Father 2.3 God the Holy Spirit 2.3.1 Mainstream Christianity 3 Nontrinitarianism 4 Christology 4.1 Jesus the Christ 5 Notes 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] The term "Godhead"

The term Godhead is a term denoting deity or divinity. Though often used interchangeably with the concept of Trinity, the two are not synonymous as Godhead simply means deity or divinity.^[1]

The term is only used by some English translations (e.g. the King James Bible) in three passages:

• in Acts 17:29 it stands for the Greek word: θεῖον theion, an adjective meaning "divinity, deity"^[2]
• in Romans 1:20 it stands for the Greek word θειότης theiotēs, a noun meaning "divinity, divine nature"^[3]
• in Colossians 2:9 it stands for the Greek word θεότητος theotētos, a noun meaning "deity"^[4]

The nature of the Godhead is defined differently among different Christian denominations. In most branches of Christianity, including Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, and Protestantism, trinitarianism prevails and the Godhead is viewed as the Holy Trinity, and so the word Godhead is often used interchangeably with Trinity.

Contrasting views of the Godhead include the version of tritheism accepted by some denominations of Mormonism, the unitarianism of the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Monotheistic Modalism of the Oneness Pentecostals, the Binitarianism of some Seventh day Church of God groups, the Dualism of Gnosticism, and various other nontrinitarian views of denominations such as the Church of Christ, Scientist, the Unification Church, and Unitarian Universalism.

[edit] Trinity

Main article: Trinity

The Trinity is considered by most Christians to be a core tenet of their faith; so much so that many Christians consider non-Trinitarians to be non-Christians. There are, nonetheless, Christian sects who either reject the doctrine of the Trinity outright or teach variants of the doctrine which are considered heretical by mainstream Christians. Since post-Nicene times, Trinitarians have constituted the vast majority of Christians.

To trinitarian Christians, God the Father is not at all a separate god from God the Son and the Holy Spirit, the other divine persons. Trinitarian Christians describe these three persons as a Trinity. This means that they always exist as three distinct "persons" (Greek hypostases), but they are one God, each having full identity as God himself (a single "substance"), a single "divine nature" and power, and a single "divine will".

Others nonetheless held alternative ideas about the Trinity. Some have described the Father, Son and Spirit as each a distinct, eternally existent being (tritheism), or as a different "manifestation" of a single being (modalism). Some have theorized that the relationship of Father and Son began at some point probably outside of normal "history" (Arianism); and others have believed that God became a Father when he uttered his creating Λογος ("logos" or "word"), who is both a principle of order and a living being to whom God bears the relationship as Father (some gnostics). Others found strong affinity with traditional pagan ideas of a savior or hero who is begotten by deity, an idea of the Father similar to Mithraism or the cult of the Roman emperor.

In Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity states that God is one being who exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a mutual indwelling of three persons: the Father, the Son (incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth), and the Holy Spirit. Since the 4th century, in both Eastern and Western Christianity, this doctrine has been stated as "three persons in one God," all three of whom, as distinct and co-eternal persons, are of one indivisible Divine essence, a simple being. Supporting the doctrine of the Trinity is known as Trinitarianism. The majority of Christians are Trinitarian, and regard belief in the Trinity as a test of orthodoxy. Opposing, nontrinitarian positions that are held by some groups include Binitarianism (two deities/persons/aspects), Unitarianism (one deity/person/aspect), the Godhead (Latter Day Saints) (three separate beings) and Modalism (Oneness).

In addition to teaching that God comprises three persons, the doctrine also teaches that the Son Himself has two distinct natures, one fully divine and the other fully human.

Neither the Old Testament nor New Testament uses the term "Trinity," though Trinitarians believe the concept is implicit in various biblical passages (see Scripture section below). The doctrine of the Trinity is the result of continuous exploration by the church of the biblical data, argued in debate and treatises.^[5] It was expressed in early writings from the beginning of the second century forward.^[5] The First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD established a nearly universal Trinitarian dogma and expressly rejected any heresies. The most widely recognized Biblical foundations for the doctrine's formulation are in the Gospel of John.

Most Christians believe that God is spirit (John 4:24), an uncreated, omnipotent, and eternal being, the creator and sustainer of all things, who works the redemption of the world through his Son, Jesus Christ. With this background, belief in the divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit is expressed as the doctrine of the Holy Trinity,^[6] which describes the single Divine substance existing as three distinct and inseparable persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ the eternal Word), and the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7). According to this doctrine, God is not divided in the sense that each person has a third of the whole; rather, each person is considered to be fully God (see Perichoresis). The distinction lies in their relations, the Father being unbegotten, the Son begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeding.^{[citation needed]} "Begotten," in these formulae, refers to the idea that Jesus was uncreated and "eternally begotten" of the Father.

Christians of Reformed theology also conceive salvation to be one work of the triune God in which "the three divine persons act together as one, and manifest their own proper characteristics" with the agency of the Holy Spirit as an essential element."^[7]

Trinitarian Christians trace the orthodox formula of the Trinity — The Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost — back to the resurrected Jesus himself who spoke these words, and which words were subsequently recorded in Matthew 28:16-20, and are commonly referred to as the Great Commission.

[edit] Ambivalence to Trinitarian doctrine

Some Protestant Christians, particularly restorationists, are ambivalent about the doctrine of the Trinity. While not specifically rejecting Trinitarianism or presenting an alternative doctrine of the God's relationship with humanity, they are neither dogmatic about the Trinity nor hold it as a test of true Christian faith. Some, like the Society of Friends (Quakers) and Christian Unitarians, may reject all doctrinal or creedal tests of true faith. Others, like the restorationist Churches of Christ, in keeping with a distinctive understanding of "Scripture alone," say that since the doctrine of the Trinity is not clearly articulated in the Bible, it cannot be required for salvation. Still others may look to church tradition and say that there has always been a Christian tradition that faithfully followed Jesus without such a doctrine. They point out that the Trinitarian doctrine, which they see as being steeped in Greek philosophical distinctions, was not clearly articulated for some centuries after Christ.^{[citation needed]}

Nontrinitarians commonly refer to the following points in objection to Trinitarian teaching.

• That it does not follow the strict monotheism found in Judaism and the Old Testament, of which Jesus claimed to have fulfilled.
• That it is an invention of early Christian church fathers, such as Tertullian.
• That it is paradoxical and therefore not in line with reason.
• That it reflects the influence of pagan religions, some of which have divine triads of their own.
• That the doctrine contradicts the Holy Scriptures, such as when Jesus states that the Father is greater than he is, or the Pauline theology: "Yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him."^[8]
• That the doctrine relies almost entirely on non-Biblical terminology. Some notable examples include: Trinity, Three-in-one, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, Person in relation to anyone other than Jesus Christ being the image of God's person (hypostasis).
• That the scriptural support for the doctrine is implicit at best. For example, the New Testament refers to the Father and the Son together much more often than to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the word "Trinity" doesn't appear in the Bible.

[edit] God the Father

Main article: God the Father

In the New Testament, God the Father has a special role in his relationship with the person of the Son, where Jesus is believed to be his Son and his heir (Hebrews 1:2-5). According to the Nicene Creed, the Son (Jesus Christ) is "eternally begotten of the Father", indicating that their divine Father-Son relationship is not tied to an event within time or human history. See Christology. The Bible refers to Christ as the beginning of God's creation, and hence as God's "firstborn."

In Eastern Orthodox theology, God the Father is the "arche" or "principium" (beginning), the "source" or "origin" of both the Son and the Holy Spirit (which gives intuitive emphasis to the threeness of persons); by comparison, Western theology explains the "origin" of all three hypostases or persons as being in the divine nature (which gives intuitive emphasis to the oneness of God's being). The Cappadocian Fathers used this Eastern Orthodox monarchian understanding to explain why trinitarianism is not tritheism: "God is one because the Father is one," said Basil the Great in the fourth century.

In Christianity, God is called "Father" in a previously unheard-of sense, besides being the creator and nurturer of creation, and the provider for his children, his people. The Father is said to have an eternal relation to his only Son, Jesus; which implies an exclusive and intimate familiarity that is of their very nature: "No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (Matthew 11:27). In Christian theology, this is the revelation of a sense in which Fatherhood is inherent to God's nature, an eternal relationship.

To Christians, God the Father's relationship with humanity is as a father to children. Thus, humans in general are sometimes called children of God. To Christians, God the Father's relationship with humanity is that of Creator and created beings, and in that respect he is the father of all. The New Testament says, in this sense, that the very idea of family, wherever it appears, derives its name from God the Father (Ephesians 3:15), and thus God himself is the model of the family.

However, there is a deeper sense in which Christians believe that they are made participants in the eternal relationship of Father and Son, through Jesus Christ. Christians call themselves adopted children of God.^[9]

[edit] God the Holy Spirit

Main article: Holy Spirit

In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three divine persons of the Holy Trinity who make up the single substance of God; that is, the Spirit is considered to act in concert with and share an essential nature with God the Father and God the Son (Jesus). The Christian theology of the Holy Spirit, or pneumatology, was the last piece of Trinitarian theology to be fully explored and developed. For this reason, there is greater theological diversity among Christian understandings of the Spirit than there is among understandings of the Son (Christology) and understandings of the Father. Within Trinitarian theology, the Holy Spirit is usually referred to as the "Third Person" of the Triune God - with the Father being the First Person and the Son the Second Person.

In the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit is one of the three members of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit's existence is affirmed in the Apostles Creed and responsibility for the Immaculate Conception or Virgin Birth of Jesus is asserted. In the Nicene Creed (an extensive elaboration of the Apostles Creed), the Holy Spirit is further affirmed to proceed from one or both of the other members of the Trinity (God the Father and God the Son) (see Filioque controversy). This is taken to further imply that the Holy Spirit is co-substantial and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is also asserted to be the "Lord and Giver of Life". This Holy Spirit is often interpreted to be the same entity as The Angel of the Lord or the Spirit of the Lord referenced in the Old Testament.

The Holy Spirit is also known as the "Holy Ghost".

[edit] Mainstream Christianity

Christians believe that the Holy Spirit leads people to faith in Jesus and gives them the ability to lead a Christian life. The Holy Spirit dwells inside every Christian, each one's body being His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). The Holy Spirit is depicted as a 'Counselor' or 'Helper' (paracletus in Latin, derived from Greek), guiding people in the way of the truth. The Holy Spirit's action in one's life is believed to produce positive results, known as the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit manifests these gifts by enabling a person to access his or her own innate abilities. Through the influence of the Holy Spirit a person sees more clearly the world around him or her and can use his or her mind and body in ways that exceed his or her previous capacity. A list of gifts that may be bestowed include the charismatic gifts of prophecy, tongues, healing, and knowledge. Christians holding a view known as cessationism believe these gifts were given only in New Testament times. Christians almost universally agree that certain "spiritual gifts" are still in effect today, including the gifts of ministry, teaching, giving, leadership, and mercy (see, e.g. Romans 12:6-8). The experience of the Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as being anointed.

Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as the promised "Advocate" (i.e. "strengthener", "fortifier") in John 14:26. After His resurrection, Christ told His disciples that they would be "baptized with the Holy Ghost", and would receive power from this event (Acts 1:4-8), a promise that was fulfilled in the events recounted in the second chapter of Acts. On the first Pentecost, Jesus' disciples were gathered in Jerusalem when a mighty wind was heard and tongues of fire appeared over their heads. A multilingual crowd heard the disciples speaking, and each of them heard them speaking in his or her native language.

[edit] Nontrinitarianism

Main articles: Nontrinitarianism and Unitarianism

Some Christian traditions reject the doctrine of the Trinity. In the early centuries of Christian history Arians, Ebionites, Gnostics, Marcionites, and others held nontrinitarian beliefs. These views were rejected by many bishops such as Irenaeus and subsequently by the Ecumenical Councils. The Nicene Creed raised the issue of the relationship between Jesus' divine and human natures. Monophysitism ("one nature") and monothelitism ("one will") were heretical attempts to explain this relationship. During more than a thousand years of Trinitarian orthodoxy, formal nontrinitarianism, i.e., a doctrine held by a church, group, or movement, was rare, but it did appear.

The Protestant Reformation of the 1500s also brought tradition into question. At first, nontrinitarians were executed (such as Servetus), or forced to keep their beliefs secret (such as Isaac Newton). The eventual establishment of religious freedom, however, allowed nontrinitarians to more easily preach their beliefs, and the 19th century saw the establishment of several nontrinitarian groups in North America and elsewhere. These include Christadelphians, Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Unitarians. Twentieth-century nontrinitarian movements include Iglesia ni Cristo, Oneness Pentecostals, and the Unification Church. Nontrinitarian groups differ from one another in their views of Jesus Christ, depicting him variously as a divine being second only to God the Father, Yahweh of the Old Testament in human form, God (but not eternally God), prophet, or simply a holy man.

During the Reformation (though most Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, and Protestants accepted the value of many of the Councils) some groups rejected these councils as spiritually tainted.^[10] Clemens Ziegler[1], Casper Schwenckfeld, and Melchior Hoffman, advanced the view that Christ was only divine and not human. Michael Servetus denied that the traditional doctrine of the Trinity was necessary to defend the divinity of Christ. He claimed that Jesus was God Himself in the flesh. ^[11]

Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormons) accept the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but deny that they are the same being. Rather, they believe them to be separate beings united perfectly in will and purpose.^[12] They believe that the Father, like the Son, has a glorified physical body. (see Godhead)

Present day groups who do not consider Jesus to be God include: Unitarians,^[13] descendants of Reformation era Socinians, Christadelphians,^[14] and Jehovah's Witnesses.^[15]

[edit] Christology

Main article: Christology

Further information: Chalcedonian creed, Christ the Logos, Monophysitism, and Arianism

[edit] Jesus the Christ

Main article: Christ

Throughout the history of Christianity, Christological questions have been very important in the lifespan of the church. Christology was a fundamental concern from the First Council of Nicaea (325) until the Third Council of Constantinople (680). In this time period, the Christological views of various groups within the broader Christian community led to accusations of heresy, and, infrequently, subsequent religious persecution. In some cases, a sect's unique Christology is its chief distinctive feature; in these cases it is common for the sect to be known by the name given to its Christology.

As indicated by the name "Christianity," the focus of a Christian's life is a firm belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah or Christ.

Christians believe that, as the Messiah, Jesus was anointed as ruler and savior of humanity, and hold that Jesus' coming was the fulfillment of messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from the contemporary Jewish concept.^[16] The core Christian belief is that, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life. [Ref. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13 KJB]

While there have been theological disputes over the nature of Jesus, Christians generally believe that Jesus is God incarnate and "true God and true man" (or both fully divine and fully human). Jesus, having become fully human in all respects, suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, yet he did not sin. As fully God, he defeated death and rose to life again. According to the Bible, "God raised him from the dead,"^[17] he ascended to heaven, to the "right hand of God,"^[18] and he will return again^[19] to fulfil the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment and establishment of the physical Kingdom of God.

According to the Gospels, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born from the Virgin Mary. Little of Jesus' childhood is recorded there in comparison to his adulthood, especially the week before his death. The Biblical accounts of Jesus' ministry include: his baptism, miracles, preaching, teaching, and deeds.

[edit] Notes

[edit] See also

• Christianity and Neoplatonism
• God in Abrahamic religions

[edit] External links

• Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings from Before the Beginning
• Comprehending God - Part 1 mp3 sermon/study from Hope Video Ministries
• Comprehending God - Part 2 mp3 sermon/study from Hope Video Ministries
• Augustine On the Holy Trinity
• The Timelessness of God and the Deity of Christ
• Trinitarian Universalism
• Jon Explains the Trinity
• Doctrine of the Trinity
• ReligionFacts, 2005. Overview of history, doctrinal statements and critics of the doctrine of the Trinity
• Site devoted to theories about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, especially as developed by recent Christian philosophers
• The Hospitality of Abraham. 2005. (ed., Andrei Rublev's icon of the "Old Testament Trinity," with discussion of the history of the Trinity in iconography.)
• The Blessed Trinity Article in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• The Trinity at WikiChristian
• Trinity article at Theopedia
• Trinity article in Jewish Encyclopedia

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